Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Paramount public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
Mr. J's Bar Live Entertainment Expansion Consideration
Mr. J's Bar at 7824 Alondra Boulevard asked to add DJs and live bands to its karaoke-only permit, running Thursdays through Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The city's six-month review found zero incidents, and the council was set to weigh neighborhood noise and safety concerns.
Proposition 1 Endorsement
The council was asked to formally back Proposition 1, a $11.25 billion state bond for veterans and affordable housing on the November 3 ballot, including $1.25 billion for veteran housing.
ADU/JADU Regulation Update (Text Amendment No. 44)
Ordinance 1220 rewrites the city's accessory dwelling unit rules to comply with state law, covering design matching, separate entrances, height allowances near transit, and a declaration that ADUs don't count against residential growth limits. It could make it easier for homeowners to add backyard homes.
Mobile Home MOU and Ordinance Update
Staff was set to give an oral update on negotiations and ordinance work affecting mobile home park residents and owners — a matter with direct rent and residency implications.
20-MPH School Zones
Ordinance 1221 would drop speed limits to 20 mph when children are present on fifteen two-lane streets near schools across Paramount — Lincoln, Wirtz, Tanner, Los Cerritos, Keppel, Roosevelt, Jackson, Gaines, Paramount High and others. Limits take effect when new signs are installed.
Bus shelter expansion at high-ridership stops
The city planned to spend up to $64,300 with Studio One Eleven for preliminary designs of alternate bus shelters, funded from Proposition A transit money.
Street Resurfacing and Civic Center Project Closeouts
The council was scheduled to formally accept completed work on the 2025 arterial street resurfacing project and the Civic Center Fountain, releasing the final retention payments to Onyx Paving and ARC Construction.
Paramount Gateway tenant-mix agreement
The city will reimburse the Paramount Square developer up to $400,000 for street improvements, but in exchange Sprouts must stay as the anchor for ten years and the city gets approval rights over replacement tenants. If Sprouts closes for six months, the developer repays the money with interest.
Ballistic shields for sheriff's deputies
Using a federal grant plus a little general fund money, the city is buying three upgraded Vanguard Tri-Grip ballistic shields to protect deputies and bystanders during active shooter incidents. The sworn division itself requested the upgrade.
Code enforcement caseload surge
Code enforcement cases are up about 55% since before COVID — over 1,100 a year — and officers are carrying double the old caseloads. Staff credits the city's easy online reporting tools and keeps an education-first approach.
Safe routes to school and neighborhood flooding
Mayor Olmos acknowledged recent robberies at and around Paramount High School and said the city is working with the Sheriff's Department and School District on safety.
Historic preservation and oral history project
The council got a look at the finished 1970-1999 historic context statement and an overview of historic preservation ordinances, and agreed to keep moving toward a possible local ordinance with incentives like Mills Act property tax relief.
I-105 Express Lanes Construction Impacts
Freeway construction is starting in Paramount's segment of the I-105 Express Lanes project — retaining walls, new pavement and overnight lane closures through 2029. Residents near Somerset can call a project noise line.
Air Quality Monitoring Contract Extension
A January 26 reading was ten times the screening threshold — just under the three-consecutive-reading level that would trigger an AQMD investigation. The city is pressing the air district for more aggressive enforcement.
Opposition to Proposition 43
The statewide measure would require a two-thirds vote to approve new local special taxes, which the city says would make it much harder to fund fire, roads, parks and housing services. Paramount joined a broad coalition of cities opposing it.
Federal Housing and Community Development Results (CAPER)
The city's annual report to HUD showed strong results: alley improvements served 39,000+ residents over five years, the senior program beat its goal, and fair housing services exceeded targets — and the council signed off on sending it to the feds.
Hay Tree Public Market museum and community room
The city locked in space inside the Hay Tree Public Market for a community room and museum, including the West Side Patio. This advances the downtown project residents have been following.
Emergency HVAC Repairs at City Facilities
The gym at Paramount Park and City Hall needed emergency HVAC work, costing about $179,000 pulled from the equipment replacement fund. Expect better climate control at those buildings.
Paramount Park Playground Matting Replacement
The rubberized safety matting at Paramount Park is being replaced for about $38,000 — good news for families who use the playground.
GWMA Regional Water Governance Appointments
The city appointed its public works leaders to the regional water management authority board, keeping Paramount at the table on regional water issues.
Santa Train Stop Relocation to Orange Avenue
Staff recommended moving the popular Santa train stop from Murray Street to 15328 Orange Avenue, cutting the number of affected homes from 159 to 74 and keeping a lane open for emergency vehicles. The council agreed to try it for the upcoming holiday season.
Commercial and Industrial Parcel Tax Ballot Measure
The city is eyeing a new tax on commercial, industrial, and vacant parcels — not homes — to close a looming budget deficit, with a three-year phase-in. Next step is a community survey to test voter support for the November 2026 ballot.
Water Main Repair at Somerset Boulevard and Orizaba Avenue
The council approved paying $352,402.58 after the fact for an emergency water main break repair, with a $262,500 budget adjustment from the Water Fund. Mayor Olmos also raised concerns about aging pipes, and staff noted a 2015 study identified $27 million in needed water system repairs.
Flock Surveillance Cameras Concerns
Three residents emailed the council expressing concerns about the city's Flock camera program. The comments were distributed to the council but not discussed in detail on the record.
Illegal Fireworks Enforcement — Fourth of July After-Action
This Fourth of July saw 49 illegal fireworks calls, 117 citations, and about 3,300 pounds of fireworks seized, with undercover sheriff operations arresting 49 sellers. Calls were up slightly from last year but below 2023-24 levels.
2026 Municipal Election Results Certified and Council Reorganization
Paramount voters will pick two at-large council members on June 2, consolidated with the statewide election. Nomination papers can be filed February 9 through March 6.
Hay Tree Public Market Public Art Selection
"Thriving Paramount" by Adrian Litman won the council's unanimous pick for the community room wall, chosen from three finalists for its sweeping historical imagery. The council wants revisions — cutting filler images and the white squiggle lines — with input from the Historical Society.
COVID-19 Memorial Planning
The city wants a permanent memorial to the 222 residents lost to COVID-19, likely a sculpture with roses (a nod to the original rose garden promise), resident-submitted poems, and a virtual wall where families can voluntarily add names.
Delinquent Refuse Collection Charges Placed on Tax Roll
257 households and properties with unpaid 2025 trash bills will have those balances added to their county property tax bills after July 31. Owners got up to six notices and can still pay before the deadline.
Resident Concerns Over Apartment Remodel Permits and Displacement
Owner-occupied households can now get up to $50,000 fully as a grant — no zero-interest loan repayment — for exterior repairs, hazards, ADA access and code violations, funded by federal HOME and CDBG money.
Homelessness Services Funding via Home-ARP
The city renewed its $150,000 contract with Family Promise of Los Angeles to deliver homelessness services in FY 2026-27 using federal Home-ARP money.
New Teamsters contracts with pay raises
City Public Works and Public Safety employees get 4%, 4% and 5% raises over three years, plus certification pay, better vacation and sick-leave benefits, and free summer camp for employees' kids. Funding was already in the adopted budget.
2025 Urban Water Management Plan Postponed
The state-required five-year water plan was adopted — and Paramount hit its conservation target, using 89 gallons per person per day against a 114-gallon limit, which strengthens its shot at state water grants.
Zoom public participation at council meetings
Starting July 14, residents can watch and speak at council meetings over Zoom — cameras off, hands raised to speak. If the feed goes down, the council must recess for at least an hour under the new state law.
Replacing the city's 20-year-old financial software
The city's core software — payroll, water billing, budgets, purchasing — is over two decades old and being phased out. A $600,000 five-year Tyler Technologies system will automate paper processes like timecards and invoice routing.
Transit-oriented development design standards (ZOTA 42)
State law SB 79 forces Paramount to allow dense housing — up to 140 units per acre and 85 feet tall — near the two planned light-rail stations. The city is adopting objective design standards (porches, materials, lighting, screening) as its only remaining tool to keep those developments looking like Paramount.
FY 2026-2027 city budget and structural deficit warning
The governor's proposed $348.9 billion budget projects a $2.9 billion deficit and a $22 billion hole by 2027-28 — Cal Cities warns that means tough choices ahead on funding for housing, homelessness, and public safety.
Annual public safety agreements
Over $1.3 million in annual contracts keep the community prosecutor, detective bureau services, school crossing guards, and Salvation Army Bell Shelter services running for another year.
Orange Avenue Industrial Park landscaping assessment
The annual landscape assessment for the 29-parcel Orange Avenue Industrial Park stays flat at about $14,200 after a hearing with no opposition.
World Energy/AltAir community benefits spending
The council put off approving the Year Four spending plan for the World Energy/AltAir community benefits money so the city and company can negotiate further — a decision expected June 23.
City Finances and Water Fund Deficit
The annual audit shows the city is financially stable now but faces trouble ahead: the general fund surplus was mostly one-time money, and the water fund ran a $1 million-plus deficit and borrowed $1.7 million from the general fund. A water rate study is underway.
SELA Cultural Center progress
A ten-acre arts and cultural center near the LA River in South Gate is moving toward an operations plan in early 2027 and a possible 2028 opening, with community input sessions ongoing.
Clearwater Specific Plan Adoption (Ordinance 1218)
The city's biggest development package — a new specific plan, full environmental report, general plan amendment, and zoning changes — is one step from adoption. An environmental group filed opposition, and the council continued the hearing to May 19 to take more testimony before deciding.
Paramount Education Partnership Scholarships
PEP gave 59 scholarships worth $189,000 this year — 714 total and $2.2 million since 2004 — funded by local businesses, the school district, and donors. Two students also won Gates Scholarships, which pay for a full four-year education.
Staff Vacancies Under AB 2561
The city is running an 8% vacancy rate — three open jobs, two of them frozen for budget reasons. That's well under the 20% state threshold, so no extra union reporting or pay actions are required.
CDBG/HOME Federal Grant Spending
The city is redirecting about $77,600 from its senior enrichment program to a new Paramount Shelter Bed Program under its federal grant plan, plus rolling over leftover home improvement money.
SB 1 Street Paving Program
About $1.4 million in state gas-tax money is headed for local streets: Colorado Avenue from Somerset to Alondra gets repaved this year with the 2025-26 funds, and Orange and Century follow next fiscal year.
Proposition FF and state housing law
A 1988 voter initiative capped density at 22 units per acre, but state housing law makes it unenforceable for qualifying housing-element sites. The council introduced an ordinance to say so explicitly and stay compliant with state housing mandates.
Mobile home park rent protections
After 16 months of negotiation, the city and the owners of all 17 mobile home parks reached a voluntary MOU capping annual rent increases at 3%, limiting capital and tax pass-throughs, and creating a rent subsidy for lower-income residents. Residents celebrated but pressed the city to notify all residents once agreements take effect.
City goals progress: street sweeping, school zones, sidewalks
Staggered street sweeping is expanding to two more neighborhoods this fall, school-zone speed studies are underway, alleyway parking citations are up, and sidewalk fixes on Indiana Avenue are done.